St Louis Rock N Roll Legend Chuck Berry Dead at 90

Yesterday it was reported that St Louis Rock N Roll legend Chuck Berry had passed away in his home outside of the city.

Chuck, the fourth of six children, was no choirboy. In the summer of 1944, after graduating from Sumner High School, he and two friends hopped into his Oldsmobile for a trip to California and robbed several stores in western Missouri to pay for car repairs. When the Olds broke down near Columbia, the trio was busted on robbery and weapons charges, and Berry spent three years in the Algoa reformatory in Jefferson City. It was first of three extended jail terms he would serve in his life.

At Algoa, with the encouragement of a nun, Berry developed his interest in singing.

That was the beginning of a long and iconic career in music marred by challenges with the law on various occasions.

Here is a video of Chuck Berry with Eric Clapton, Keith Richards and Etta James singing – Rock ‘n’ Roll Music

Berry held a monthly gig for years at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis. We all will miss him.

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